The present invention relates generally to gaming machines, such as slot machines and video poker machines, which are becoming increasingly popular. One reason for their popularity is the variety of games and options within games that may be implemented on a gaming machine. Another reason for the popularity of gaming machines is the wide range of wager values accepted by the various gaming machines. Still another reason for the popularity of these gaming machines is the element of chance and the ‘thrill’ of winning an award.
Gaming machines typically have a video display or mechanical reels upon which a primary game is played. Normally, the gaming machine's top box has a glass panel that displays pay tables for the primary game or artwork representative of the theme of the primary game. Sometimes the top box has a video display upon which a secondary game may be played. The gaming machine's belly glass usually has artwork representative of the theme of the primary game.
To play a conventional game machine, a player deposits money in the form of coins, gaming tokens or paper currency either into a coin head or bill acceptor (the “coin-in”). The coins and gaming tokens are collected in a reservoir located within the gaming machine (the “hopper”), while the paper currency is collected inside the bill acceptor located within the gaming machine. If the coins, gaming tokens or paper currency are validated as authentic, the player accrues the appropriate number of playing units (“credits”) on a credit meter located on the gaming machine. The number of credits accrued depends on the denomination of the wager as set on the gaming machine. For example, a twenty-five cent gaming machine will accrue four credits for each dollar deposited into the gaming machine by way of the coin head or the bill acceptor.
On a slot machine, after accruing credits on the credit meter, the player determines how many credits he wishes to wager on a spin of the slot reels (the “total bet”). The player then spins the reels by pressing the spin button or by pulling a handle. When the reels stop spinning, symbols are displayed on the slot reels (the “symbol matrix”). The player then collects credits for predetermined symbol combinations (the “winning combinations”), if any, according to a pre-determined pay out schedule (the “pay table”).
Typically, slot symbols are displayed on slot reels (also called “columns”) placed adjacent to each other. Each column is configured to contain at least three rows, with a symbol displayed in each row. The resulting symbol matrix usually ranges from three columns by three rows, with nine total symbols, to five columns by three rows, with fifteen total symbols. However, the symbol matrix might be configured with almost any number of total symbols. Within the symbol matrix, positions on the slot reels may be referred to according to column, from left to right, and row, from top to bottom (the “symbol positions”). For example, in a 5 column by 3 row symbol matrix, symbol position 1/2 is located in column 1 (i.e., the left-most column) and row 2 (i.e., the middle row).
Players collect credits for predetermined symbols or combinations of symbols that appear in specific symbol positions (the “pay lines”). Winning combinations typically require that three or more of the same symbols appear adjacent to each other starting from the left-most position of a pay line (“line pays”). For example, a player may collect a line pay if 3 banana symbols appear in symbol positions 1/1, 2/1, 3/1 on a pay line using symbol positions 1/1, 2/1, 3/1, 4/1, and 5/1. Alternatively, players may also collect credits for predetermined winning combinations that appear anywhere on a pay line (“line scatter pays”) or anywhere in the symbol matrix (“reel scatter pays”). Credits are awarded to the player for each winning symbol combination based upon a predetermined pay out schedule (the “pay table”).
Following any type of award (e.g., line pays, line scatter pays or reel scatter pays), the credits won are added to the player's balance of credits as shown in the credit meter. As long as the player has credits on the credit meter, the player may continue to play the gaming machine. Alternatively, the player may collect the remaining balance of credits by pressing a “Cash Out” button located on the gaming machine. In addition, the player may view the rules of the game by pressing a “Help” button before any spin.
Thus, a conventional slot machine is limited in that it only issues awards for the types of combinations of symbols described above. That is, awards are paid only in accordance with a fixed pay table. As a result of this limitation, players must learn how and why certain combinations of symbols form winning combinations; players must memorize the awards listed on the pay table for each of the winning symbol combinations; players suffer from the disappointment of “near-misses” of winning combinations which line-up just off the pay lines; and players suffer from the boredom of playing “new” games that really use the same, old “pay line-pay table” concept.
Thus, there remains a need in the industry to address the limitations associated with conventional slot machines by providing awards for any and all individual symbols appearing within the symbol matrix. The What You See Is What You Get (“WYSIWYG”) concept creates a slot game that provides players with a unique, entertaining game concept that is simple to play and that provides easy-to-understand awards.